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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27728659">Final Fantasy XIV: The Primal Devil</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Devola/pseuds/Devola'>Devola</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Final Fantasy XIV</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Action/Adventure, The adventures of a summoner and her grumpy Au Ra, Will try to keep close to the game's gameplay but expect some....expansions, WoL has a friend.....or two....or twenty, might have more than three egi primals to choose from</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 17:50:01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,578</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27728659</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Devola/pseuds/Devola</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Five years after the seventh Umbral Calamity Eorzia starts to recover and a wandering adventurer with a thirst for knowledge and a special power she struggles to understand returns to her old home in Limsa, but her return leads the arcanist on a journey she wouldn't have dreamed of, gain allies and friends she won't dare wish to loose and enemies she really wish she could. But most important of all is an unlikely friend she meets in the most unusual of Circumstances.</p><p>(This is my fanfiction of FFXIV following a summoner WoL and a Unique Au Ra, tags may change as I continue to write and evolve the story, and I plan to go through all the expansions and raid content though I will be adding and changing minor things to the story I will keep as close to the lore as I can....may the twelve help me...)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Arrival: The voyage to Limsa</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>"Talking"<br/>Action<br/>'thinking'<br/>.mumbling.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>     On a foggy cloudy day that seems to border on about to rain a ship sails across the seas of Eorzia traveling to the port town of Limsa Lominsa an independent Marine City State and one of the three big powers in the land with its formidable navy. In the ship’s passenger lounge area sits five passengers that are just a small group of many using the ship as a ferry into Limsa’s port. One of the passengers is a blonde bearded merchant in red outfit and matching bandana he seems to be going over his wares he plans to sell once he hits port but glances over to the other passengers, one is a set of white haired elezen twins who are sleeping on their own side of the seating area, honestly, they look almost identical save for minor physical differences, and the fact that one twin is dressed in blue and the other in red. The next passenger the merchant looks at is another sleeping passenger but unlike the twins the merchant really can’t see past the tattered thick cloak that covers the passenger’s entire body though it doesn’t help that unlike every other passenger the cloaked one is sitting in the corner of the room and curled up on the floor, so every feature is hidden, if there’s a passenger to be weary of it’d probably be that one. However, the final passenger besides the merchant himself is the polar opposite from the cloaked passenger....at least in terms of the feeling the merchant gets from looking at her, the last Passenger is a Hyur woman with slick back black hair held in place by a green hairband that matches her green uniform like leather armor with black sleeves and pants and a white and blue scarf tied around her neck, unlike the other passengers this one is reading a tome of hers with great intensity as if absorbing all the knowledge that the tome has to offer her. She’d been reading the tome almost the entire voyage except for that one time she slept a fitful sleep. The merchant almost looked ready to question what made the book so interesting when he recognized the tome as a Grimoire, an Arcanist’s tome.  </p><p>Merchant: “Aaaah so that explains it, you study the arcane....so you an adventurer?” The merchant asks snapping the woman out of her reading as she looks over at the merchant </p><p>???: “Huh? Oh umm....in a sense...more of an....explorer really but I do occasionally help people out, my name’s Helga I travel Eorzia to learn all the knowledge in the land and beyond, learning the knowledge of the arcane, the different cultures, everything is just.... exhilarating!” The woman, Helga explains with a bit of excitement though the Merchant has been around long enough to tell there is just a bit more to that than Helga let’s on, but he knows everyone has their secrets and he’s not exactly one to try and dig up secrets, just a good way to end up at the bottom of the ocean </p><p>Merchant: “I see, you’re probably the first adventurer I know that wasn’t lured to the profession for fame or glory haha! My name’s Brennan I’m a merchant I travel about Eorzia to collect and sell wares to all who need them, if you ever come across me don’t be afraid to check my wares, I try to keep the prices fair” The Merchant, Brennan chuckles as he gets a smile out of Helga as they both shake a bit from the ship rocking again from the rough ways “Aaaagh! Blasted ship’s been jumping about like demented chocobos all voyage, I reckon I might head above deck, get some fresh air.” </p><p> </p><p>Helga: “Yeah I’ll join you been couped up down here most of the voyage, never been much for ship travel, could never really adjust to it!” Helga exclaims as closes her grimoire and buckles it to her belt on her side before stretching and getting up from her seat, following Brennan above deck to the cloudy sea salt air with the crew working to ensure the ship’s stays true in the rough waters so everyone can get to Limsa with few delays. “aaaah that salty sea breeze! Been so long since I’ve been able to feel it, even if it is during some rough weather!” Helga stretches as she walks across the deck to gaze out upon the seas, even in their rough state with what she guesses is an oncoming storm. “We’ll probably be the last ship entering or leaving port for a bit based on the seas’ temper” Helga smirks as Brennan looks impressed with Helga’s guess </p><p> </p><p>Brennan: “Not your first time on the seas eh? Well ever been to Limsa?” Helga nods in affirmation </p><p>Helga: “Grew up in Limsa, I was practically raised in the Arcanist’s Guild, my dad took me in during one of his trips and raised me, honestly felt like it was meant to be since I took to the arcane as a fish does to water. I lived in Limsa till I was sixteen about....five years ago......before the Calamity and then well I followed in my father’s footsteps and began wandering Eorzia to study and learn all I can while lending aid to those in need, heh Thubyrgeim even asked ‘if I was positive, I wasn’t related to my father biologically!’” Helga just chuckles a bit as she leans against the side of the ship while gazing out to sea with a smile </p><p>Brennan: “I see, so I’m assuming you came back to say hello to your family?” </p><p>Helga: “Mhmm it’s been five years since I’ve last seen them, I’ve been over in Aldenard and especially around the Black Shroud and Mor Dhona studying and helping, I hope to one day crack the mystery of the crystal tower in Mor Dhona but....well after five years I just got, a little homesick” Helga explains with a bit of a sad smile </p><p>Brennan: “Hmmm I can understand that, guess you don’t need me to tell you the importance of staying alive as an adventurer?” Helga gives a chuckle at the rhetorical question before she pauses a bit her dark brown eyes having a brief shimmer before she tenses when the relaxed atmosphere is destroyed at the sound of a loud ‘BANG’ like a cannon being fired and next thing Brennan knows he’s on his side from Helga tackling him out of the way of a cannonball that was more than a little to close from hitting him in the head as the sound of more canon fire rings out with pillars of water erupting from the side of the ship as the cannonballs barely miss the ship. Brennan can hear the crew shouting about pirates when he catches three ships closing in firing cannons at the cargo ship. </p><p>Helga: “Come on!” Helga shouts as she helps Brennan up before making her way towards the deck dragging the merchant to get them both to safety since her spells can’t those pirates when she nearly freezes as her eyes shine a bit as her....secret kicks in and she just starts seeing various images, a lab, a dank cell.....Dalamud the moon that contained the Seventh Umbral Calamity.... Helga quickly shakes her head to snap out of it as she hears another canon fire, and she can just feel in her gut.....that cannonball would hit her and Brennan....at least it would have if it wasn’t for a grey blur followed by a loud impact when that sleeping cloaked passenger from before had bursted out from below deck and ran right into the cannonball sending her across the deck crashing into the side of the ship. Helga was about to scramble for her Grimoire when the cloaked passenger slowly gets up as purple embers flake out from under the cloak and Helga catches black horns sticking out from the hood of the cloak along with blood red hair as the cloaked Au Ra reveals the canon ball she caught in her right arm, which is spikey and scaley like a dragon...or better yet a demon.  </p><p>“B-by the twelve!?” Helga heard someone shout probably one of the crew as the cloaked woman growls a bit before quite literally throwing the cannonball in an Arc at the pirates......and from the fact that one of the ships literally stops a few moments after the Au Ra threw the ball Helga is willing to bet she did actually hit the pirates with that throw though Helga has no desire to find out for sure and gets herself and Brennan below deck with the cloaked Au Ra following. </p><p>-later- </p><p>After getting below deck, all the passengers are all in the lounge waiting out the pirate attack with Brennan Helga and the cloaked Au Ra all together in the corner and now that Helga isn’t distracted by the pirates, she realizes exactly how tall this 6’3 Au Ra is easily dwarfing her 5’6 height not that is stopping Helga from trying to heal the grumpy Au Ra. </p><p>Helga: “we all saw you get hit by that cannonball all I was to do is heal you, especially since that ball would have hit us if you didn’t come up when you did, the least I can do is heal you!” </p><p>???: “I told you, I’m fine” The Au Ra grumbles trying to back away from the stubborn Hyur that just steps closer before opening her black Grimoire with her left hand and a serious expression </p><p>Helga: “Don’t move, and don’t make me have to keep you still” Helga orders before hovering her right hand over her Grimoire and the pages start flipping through themselves as she focuses her Aether and slowly raises her right hand as a greenish white light starts to envelop her right hand and right as the pages flip to one particular part of the book Helga thrusts her hand forward and the greenish white light envelops the Au Ra who places her scaley claw right hand over her stomach where the ball hit her and no longer feels the bruise “There much better now isn’t it?” </p><p>???: “oh....thanks” The woman semi mumbles which Helga takes as a win over this stubborn Au Ra </p><p>Brennan: “I need to give you my thanks as well Helga, if it wasn’t for you, I’d be having a whole lot less above my head!” Brennan gives his thanks to Helga which she nods to with a “no problem” before Brennan expression turns grim “But for pirates to fire on a ship flying Lominsan colors! They either have a boatload of balls or bugger for brains.” Helga nods in agreement when the doors burst open and one of the crew mates rush in with an expression of both pride and relief. </p><p>“Ye can rest easy friends! We’ve made it out of cannon range, and no buccaneer’s bark will catch this flighty temptress once the wind’s in her sails!” The sailor exclaims the entire room’s tension just vanished in an almost simultaneous sigh of relief from the passengers as the sailor leaves the room </p><p>Brennan: “That was too bleeding close though, what's the world coming to? Well, either way if the pirates gave up then we must be close to port, let’s head up on deck an’ have us a look, shall we?” Brennan offers to which Helga nods </p><p>Helga: “sure sounds like a plan, want to join us fr-huh where did she go?” Helga looks around as the cloaked Au Ra had left when they had turned to look at the sailor who delivered the good news “Well guess it’s just the two of us then.” Helga has a slight frown before shaking her head and going above deck as she thinks to herself about her little....issue from before ‘Still what’s with that vision of mine, I usually only get like one flash or vision and its related to a person or situation but those flashes I got three....and they happened right before the Au Ra showed up...could they be related to her? Agh I’m still no closer to understanding this ability of mine, and even less close to trying to control the darn thing, even after five years!' Helga mentally gripes as her and Brennan reach the outside again just as the port comes into view and Helga can, for the first time in five years gaze upon her old home, Limsa Lominsa. The massive city state port town is a larger vertical city with many floors half built into the cliff face along the ocean’s edge, and bridges that extend out to the La Noscea Region both the middle and lower parts of the region, and just as Helga remembers it, the city is swarming with people running about from fishers who are catching and selling their haul, to adventurers passing by toward either finishing or beginning jobs and stopping by the massive market on the ground floor that goes along the entire curve touching the cliff face. Helga gives a smile as her gaze falls upon a tower that offshoots slightly from the main city, sitting right next to the main ports, the home of the Arcanist’s guild “I’m here, I’m home.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Limsa: A reunion had and a mystery born</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Helga docks at Limsa and her first stop is her old home the Arcanist Guild but what has changed over the years, and where did that Au Ra go!?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After docking and bidding Brennan a farewell Helga quickly makes her way to the Arcanist’s guild which is thankfully right next to where the ship docked so it was almost a literal skip and hop away, and once she enters the guild, she’s hit by a wave of nostalgia as she watches a line of aspiring arcanists listen to Murie’s speech on the history and concept of Arcanima “As such, Admiral Merlwyb, counting several wielders of arcanima among her personal staff, became concerned that this exclusionary practice would lead to the extinction of the art, so she-by the twelve, Helga!? Welcome back!” though as Helga steps up and smiles the Guild Receptionist stops her explanation and looks to Helga with excitement having not seen the Arcanist prodigy since she departed on her journey, right as she herself got the position as Guild Receptionist.  </p><p>Helga: “Hey Murie, I’m back!” Helga smiles as she maneuvers past the whispering aspiring arcanists to give her old friend a hug “How’s been things on the home front?” </p><p>Murie: “Oh it’s been good, relief efforts aside we’ve been having more applicants for the guild than ever before, though it helps when we have a prodigy that the experts love to talk about!” Murie chuckles as Helga just sheepishly smiles </p><p>Helga: “they were serious about that!? I didn’t do anything special really I just took what I learned and applied it.” </p><p> </p><p>Murie: “Faster than any arcanist before has you got the basics down in a week and at such a young age!” Murie gloats for Helga who just blushes from the praise not really seeing how that was something to really brag about “But enough about that, Mistress Thubyrgeim, Helga’s back!” Murie calls out to a tall Roegadyn with light green skin and thick slick back brown hair standing by some bookshelves reading before she looks up and turns around, giving a small smile upon seeing Helga. </p><p>Thubyrgeim: “Ah Helga it’s good to see you again, I trust your expedition to the Black Shroud and Mor Dhona have been fruitful?” Thubyrgeim asks with a small smile, which Helga know’s is her equivalent of Murie’s excitement to see her again </p><p>Helga: “Very fruitful in some ways, not as much in others, I managed to greatly expand my knowledge of the Blach Shroud and Mor Dhona’s history .and managed to get my knowledge fix. but in terms of my whole....ability, very little progress if you have a few hours we can go over the details over tea!” Helga explains really wanting to have some more of her old teacher’s tea </p><p>Thubyrgeim: “Hmmm that sounds lovely Helga, it’ll be interesting to hear what you’ve learned especially about the crystal tower you mentioned in your letter” Helga give a firm nod excited to have some time to talk with her ‘aunt’ </p><p> </p><p>-Meanwhile, in Middle La Noscea- </p><p>Walking along the road in the lush green grasslands of the cliff region of Middle La Noscea the cloaked Au Ra keeps her eye on the road keeping her hood pulled over her head to cover most of her face. She glances about the road while munching on a jerky she bought from the market on the way out not wanting to stick around Limsa for too long given the fact that either the Maelstrom or the yellowjackets would try to single her out of the passengers on that ship as a potential accomplice for pirates given her choice of attire and general, paranoia would be a good term for her, so she just left Limsa while grabbing food to keep her going till her next stop of Summerford Farms a nice location for her to stop do some work to get some gil with little to no questions asked and she gets something akin to a bed for her to sleep in for the next few days....maybe even week so win win. The Au Ra gets rudely interrupted from her thoughts however when a group of pirates jump out from the grass and surround her, the one blocking her path is holding a greataxe in his hands while the four surrounding her sides and back are all holding daggers, however all five of them have blue serpent marks on their face </p><p>Marauder Pirate: “Alright lass hand over all your valuables and you’ll walk away with yer life!” The Pirate with the axe demands much to the Au Ra’s annoyance given her lack of stuff that could even be considered valuable, well except her food which they’d have to pry from her cold dead hands </p><p>???: “do I look like someone who’d have valuables. Idiot let me pass before I break you...” the Au Ra growls having the pirates to her sides take a step back while the axe wielding pirate just narrows his eyes in rage while clenching his axe </p><p>Marauder Pirate: “What did you say!? I’ll split yer head lass!” The pirate shouts before charging the Au Ra rearing his axe back to cleave down on her head but seconds before the axe would make contact the woman moves like a grey blur as she just slides to the left and watches the pirate stumble and nearly fall over from overextending </p><p>???: “I warned you.” The woman states with finality before placing her jerky in her mouth granting her use of both hands before she spins and strikes the axe wielding pirate in the spine with a nasty uppercut making him bend slightly as he lifts into the air. However, before he fully flies over the woman, she grabs his left ankle with her left hand and proceeds to throw him at the dagger duo in front of her having all three fall to the ground in a heap with a collective scream as the Au Ra swallows her jerky whole. The remaining two pirates see the Au Ra smirk under her hood before she lifts her claw arm up and beckons them tauntingly “Come On!!” Provoked by the taunt the pirates give a battle cry before charging the cloaked devil before them slashing about in tandem as the woman practically dances around their blades before delivering a roundhouse kick that sends both of them flying back into the grass with a loud CRASH as a few birds fly away from the impact with both pirates down for the count. “take it easy, try not to rob people okay?” The woman states as she knows the pirates are neither dead nor knocked out, after all she just wanted them out of the way, so she turns to continue making her way towards the farm when the axe pirate, slowly gets up and roars in rage before throwing his axe at the woman striking her right in the back as the axe tears past her cloak and dirty stained clothes underneath and digs into her back eliciting a scream of pain as she halts and leans back as if about ready to fall. Though she didn’t.... she stayed frozen a bit as if registering the fact that this pirate.... this fool just used his second chance...to try and kill her! “Grrrrh you...” She grows while reaching back and pulling out the axe causing her blood to spray out and paint the road much to the pirate’s horror, which only grew as he saw purple flames engulf her wound and consume it before dissipating leaving nothing but a light scar. “You....YOU IDIOT!!” She screams in fury before quickly turning around and all the pirate sees before an axe cleaves into his skull is a glowing red eye full of unyielding rage leaping at him with insane speed </p><p>-Limsa Lominsa, Lower Decks, Arcanist Guild- </p><p>In the lower levels of the guild sits the training grounds/main library with the center being an arena for arcanist trainees to practice the application of arcanima while the outside is from wall to wall just library shelves stacked from floor to ceiling with books. At one of the shelves Helga and Thubrygeim are sitting at one of the various tables just drinking tea as Helga discusses all she has done during her five year stay at Mor Dhona and the Black Shroud, having finished discussing the latter and her time observing and learning the art of magic done by conjurers and how she began to apply some of it to her physicks spells to increase their potency before leading into her time in Mor Dhona helping with relief efforts and assisting the Sons of Saint Coinach with their attempts to research the crystal tower that sprang up some time after the Calamity, with Helga herself theorizing that there might be a correlation between the two events though her only evidence is just the timing so until they can get past the gigas that have practically claimed the area near the tower as their territory, there is no more examination for the tower.  </p><p>Helga: “So until the saints can get enough adventurers to clear out none of the scholars can get close to the tower and I can barely get close enough to find the hidden doorway that I reported to them before the gigas threaten to overwhelm me, but on the bright side it has helped me develop my usage of arcanima especially the ruin spell I may have made a few...tweaks to the spell and made myself a new line of spells I’m working on.” Helga explains causing Thubrygeim to halt drinking her tea and the veteran arcanists behind her to choke on theirs before most of the immediate group of eyes fall upon Helga “ummm yeah I developed it dealing with the gigas.... it’s not, anything special really...” Helga says with a sheepish smile as she looks about at the flabergasted looks from everyone except Thubrygeim and Old Jenkins who’s a retired Yellowjacket Marauder with an eyepatch over his right eye and despite the gray hair and his wrinkled callused face he helps everyone in the guild during sparring matches by making them think plan and cast spells while someone’s trying to cleave you with an axe, both of them look interested and Helga instantly knew what they were thinking </p><p>Thubrygeim: “well instead of talking about this new spell line you developed, why not show us, Jenkins?”  </p><p>Jenkins: “Aye, let’s get in the ring lass I want to see what ye learned over your time away” Helga chuckles semi nervously before steeling herself and nodding standing up and heading to the suddenly empty ring that also suddenly has an entire crowd of interested veterans and excited initiate arcanists watching to see what the Guild’s Prodigy has learned during her expedition. Helga takes her spot on the left end of the arena turning and staring down Jenkins from across the other end of the arena, who has a smile as he does not hide his excitement, “ready lass?” </p><p>Helga: “Anytime old man” Helga responds with a smile while quickly unhooking and opening her grimoire in a single motion, before long Thubrygeim snaps her fingers with a quick “BEGIN” to signal the start of the match and Jenkins opens up with a tomahawk throwing a tomahawk axe at Helga who quickly slides to the left while muttering and raising her hands as if to snap her fingers with her grimoire flipping through pages with a light blue glow. Jenkins gets close enough to the Arcanist for him to begin swinging his axe in a cleave when Helga snaps her fingers and a burst of non-aspected aether sends the old Marauder back as several blades of aether manifest around Helga spining at high speeds like a mini storm of blades surrounds Helga. The veteran arcanists look intrigued as the initiates cheer excitedly when Helga fires off two Ruin spells to force the Marauder back before hovering her hand over her grimoire and the pages glow an emerald color as she makes a chant “soar above the skies and shine your light upon my enemies, CARBUNCLE!” Helga raises her hand with a twirl as a burst of wind occurs above Helga and a small emerald fox no bigger than Helga’s arm with a ruby horn emerges from the wind and lands in front of her yawning a bit as it stares down Jenkins “Slice him” Helga commands to which the Carbuncle Fox leaps up and spins vertically quickly generating wind aether while Jenkins braces himself with a rampart right before the Carbuncle propels itself at Jenkins like a wind shuriken shot out of a cannon and shreds Jenkins defenses while Helga follows up with another quick chant with the pages turning blue again and her spinning blades protecting her line up like a row of canons and shoot themselves at Jenkins slamming into him with each blade exploding in a small burst of non-aspected aether, sending Jenkins flying into the side of the arena, almost out of the arena entirely </p><p>Jenkins: “Alright alright I yield!” the old man shouts with a groan as he looks at his heavy weakened armor not expecting the carbuncle buzz saw nor the exploding aether blades that he can tell were the bolts of ruin magic condensed into a blade for Helga to manipulate though given the time it took for the formation swap she would need something to distract her target so they don’t interfere or dodge the blades “Geez I look away for five years and you develop ways of devastating your enemies, so long as the old fox can keep them distracted” Jenkins motions to the Carbuncle that seems pleased with the compliment as Jenkins himself smiles, pleased with Helga’s growth “Though I imagine that strategy only works on one, two enemies tops!” </p><p>Helga: “Yeah once I go beyond a one on one it gets a bit more difficult to keep enemies from overwhelming me, and my ruin blades can’t stop enemies from approaching only slicing them up so the more resilient or tolerant to pain, the less effective that becomes, it just means my foes have to pay blood to hit me” Helga explains shivering a bit at the memory of a Gigas shoulder tackling her while she was busy taking down a second Gigas, honestly it was times like that she was glad she learned how to upgrade her Physicks spell, which reminds her to quickly cast one on Jenkins to heal any damage she inflicted during their spar.  </p><p>Thubrygeim: “You truly have grown Helga, it feels like only yesterday you were summoning Carbuncle for the first time. Honestly you and K’lyhia are among our most creative and brightest arcanist of this era, sadly she’s off investigating suspected smuggled goods at the moment so your reunion will have to wait, in the meantime, I know you just arrived by do you mind looking into something for me?” Thubrygeim asks with Helga standing at attention putting her Grimoire away as her Carbuncle hops up on her shoulder </p><p>Helga: “Not at all Aunt Thubrygeim how can I help?” Helga smiles happy not only to help...but to escape the hoard of arcanist that will want to bombard her with questions if she sticks around for any longer, she may love her home, but she hates the attention she keeps getting. </p><p>Thubrygeim: “Well as you probably noticed on your way into port pirates have recently been more...bold as of late attacking cargo ships and the Yellowjackets have been talking about rumors of kidnapping occurring across La Noscea, I suspect the pirates might be involved but I haven’t heard of any faithful affirmation to support my theory, however I’ve heard that Summerford Farms needs some assistance with some pirates stealing their equipment, I need you to make your way to Summerford Farms and meet with Staelwyrn, one eyed Roedegan, good man appreciates hard work, help him out with his pirate problem and learn what you can, try and get to the bottom of these rumors.” </p><p>Helga: “Understood” Helga nods, her interest peaked at the thought of what could be making the pirates so bold lately, and if they are in fact linked to the kidnapping rumors but either way she knows Thubrygeim is worried about the rise in pirate activity, probably didn’t help she mentioned the whole ‘pirates tried blowing up the ship she was on earlier’ thing, and hey gives her something to do...well besides trying to find that strange Au Ra from the ship, that is someone she’s interested in since A that woman took a canonball and threw it at a pirate ship, and HIT IT, and B most Au Ra have minor to moderate draconic or demonic features, but an entire arm that looks like a demonic claw, that’s extremely rare, so needless to say once this pirate business is dealt with, Helga’s Au Ra hunting! “I’ll look into it immediately .anything to avoid the fanclub.” Helga semi mumbles before spinning around and very quickly-as if trying to get a head start on a certain mob of arcanists that want to question her to the end of time-makes her way up the stairs and to the market to procure some supplies for her new Journey, one that Helga has a good feeling about!</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Bloody Battle at the Seasong Grotto</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Something troubling stirs as Helga meets a new friend and encounters something Sinister at the grotto but perhaps she'll gain more than one ally this time...</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>-???, Middle La Noscea- </p><p> </p><p>???: “Seems all is going along well here I should-hm?” A tall black robed masked mage overlooks from his vantage point giving him a good view of Middle La Noscea pleased with the movements of the pirates and their ‘recruitment drive’ but quickly looks about as he can feel a disturbance in the aether, like a small ripple before settling his gaze upon a bloodbath on the road from Limsa to the direction of upper La Noscea and Summerford Farms, specifically the thick tall grass before the bridge over the River that courses through the plains, inside the grass he can see the corpses of some of the pirates he has been dealing with, four of which seemed to have had quick painless deaths but the leader and one on top got his head split open down to his shoulders with his own axe which was still lodged into his corpse, it was not their deaths he sensed though it was instead the fact the corpses look like they’ve been deceased for ages as if their very aether was drained from their bodies that was what caused the ripple in the aether something drained these pirates dry of their aether and the fact that something can do that causes a shiver of fear to crawl up the mage’s spine “This...could complicate things...” </p><p> </p><p>-Seasong Grotto, Middle La Noscea- </p><p> </p><p>The robed Au Ra, now with a new gash in the back of her cloak enters the grotto her blood crimson eye glowing in the darkness as she glances about the torch lit grotto that while small has plenty of dark spots something, or someone, could hide in and with the massive stone monument right in the center of the sandy damp grotto this could be a nice easy place for pirates, thugs, or anyone generally up to no good, to use as either a quick getaway spot or temporary camp, and given how the head of Summerford Farms, Staelwyrn, told her that if she wants food and board at the farms then she has to pitch in and help him calm down the terrified workers by finding any evidence of who might be behind the recent kidnapping though both of them agree, it’s probably pirates no betting required.  </p><p> </p><p>Crimson Au Ra: “Alright then if I was an idiot pirate kidnapping people where would I camp in this grotto? Grrr maybe I should have kept one of those robbers alive might have had good info, good going Devola you managed to let your temper make your job harder.....again.” The Au Ra, Devola gripes to herself as she moves about carefully scanning the area looking for any clues or evidence of the grotto being used recently when voices echo from the entrance of the cavern leading up to the grotto and Devola quickly ducks into the shadows pressing herself against the wall and pray to whatever god that still cares that the owner of the voices can’t sense aether </p><p> </p><p>-Meanwhile outside the grotto- </p><p>Helga: “So there’s a monument in the grotto for the people of Limsa?” Helga asks her new companion she encountered on her way to Summerford Farms, the wise white hair Miqo’te Y’shtola Rhul one of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn though she never met her until now she heard much about her during her travels in the Black Shroud from Papalymo and Yda other members of the scion she helped during her first two years of her five-year expedition across Eorzia, and now she meets the ‘voice of reason’ of the scions and to make it better Y’shtola is also looking into the kidnappers as well, so the two agreed to check out the grotto together since Y’shtola heard that the kidnappers might have used the grotto to hide out or used it as a meeting ground. </p><p>Y’shtola: “Aye the Sailor’s Requiem is both a litany against misfortune for those out at sea, and a prayer for those who lost their lives on land to find their way back to sea, truly it is a requiem that well describes the manner in which the citizens of Limsa Lominsa live their lives.” Y’shtola explains as the duo descends into the grotto keeping an eye out as they discuss the history of the monument within the grotto </p><p>Helga: “Ah yes the Sailor’s Requiem, I am the waves that bear, I am the winds that guide, I am the evening stars, I am the morning sky, I am born of the seas, and there shall I die. It’s been ages since I last recalled the Requiem, my father taught me it back when I was little during a thunderstorm that spooked me, it helps keeps me calm during times of stress” Helga smiles as she reminisces that night her father taught her the Requiem during her first thunderstorm, nowadays she barely has to chant it during storms or rough weather “though I do have to say given the number of chants and counters to misfortune I’ve learned throughout my travels it’d probably that I’d probably mix up a few if I ever had to chant in a time of stress” Helga chuckles while Y’shtola smiles, already seeing what it was that allowed Helga to become good friends and allies of Papalymo and Yda, if Helga hadn’t wandered off to Mor Dhona she’d probably would have been offered a spot in the Scions given her desire to help others and her mastery of Aether that Papalymo reported about, said something about her manipulating aether in ways no arcanist had done before </p><p>Y’shtola: “Yes I often tend to learn about the different monuments left around Eorzia myself so I might share them with others and allow their message to continue on-hm? What was that?” Y’shtola asks as she just felt something...off about the grotto so she quickly puts on her mask that allows her to view the Aether and she sees a disturbance of the Aether in the grotto...wait she sees something else another’s aether but it’s...profoundly different from regular aether a person would exude rather than a blue light instead she sees purple embers floating in the air but it’s counteracting the other disturbance, which was some kind of darkness something Y’shtola saw only once before and it worries her that this kidnapping is worse than she initially believed  </p><p>Helga: “Y’shtola...do you feel that? There’s something off about this cave-waah!” Right as Helga senses the aether disturbance that Y’shtola is seeing with the mask the ground rumbles as they hear a loud THUD behind them. As they recover the duo look behind them to see a large lumbering blubbery beast that has moss growing over it’s entire back and head with a dagger shoved into head however what’s odd is that the creature’s aether is just...wrong eminating black smoke almost like it’s leaking darkness “That’s a goobbue, but what’s that darkness it’s emitting!?” Helga looks shocked while she quickly summons her trusty emerald carbuncle before snapping her fingers and her ruin swords appear around her carbuncle floating behind the fox as if awaiting it’s command, shocking Y’shtola since she’s never seen anyone manipulate aether like that!  </p><p>Y’shtola: “I have my theories but let’s discuss them after we slay the beast, lest we become it’s next feast!” Y’shtola says as she takes her one-handed focus for her magic, a wand that strongly resembles a tree branch. The Duo backs further into the cave as Helga commands her carbuncle to spin into the goobbue with the wind swirling around the emerald fox with the ruin blades turning the fox into a shredding drill that digs into the blubbering giant’s stomach tearing bits and pieces out as black smoke just flows out of the wound like a burst of wind shattering the blades and sending the fox back, meanwhile Y’shtola manipulates earth aether to conjure up a row of large sharp rocks that she fires at goobbue like the rocks were canons, rocketing towards the giant, piercing into its chest above the carbuncle trying to pierce into the goobbue’s heart though like the carbuncle darkness bursts from the wound breaking the rocks before they pierce deeper into the beast. Despite the gashes into its chest and stomach the goobbue continues to stomp and waddle towards the duo as they continue their retreat into the dead end. </p><p>Helga: “Carbuncle, SWITCH, Break the very earth!” Helga shouts along with a wave of her hand, glowing with a topaz light, and her emerald fox’s fur thickens and changes from a glowing emerald to a shining topaz while his claws grow, and his tail hardens looking far less nimble than before but now resembles a walking shining fox made from pure metal. With a snap of her fingers several ruin swords shoot out from her aether into the goobbue’s legs causing it to stumble and trip with her carbuncle slams his claws into the ground causing a dozen rock spires to shoot forward like javelins into the blubbering beast that falls right the spires. Not wanting to be left out Y’shtola brings her wand up before bringing it down, and like a command the rocks above the goobue just drops down like a downpour of spears tearing to impaled goobbue’s back creating a large dust the covers the creature “Ha...ha....ha did we get it?” Helga asks as she catches her breath when the exhaustion of using so much aether at once for that ruin sword barrage, not to mention swapping her carbuncle’s gem and creating that rock spire trap. </p><p>Y’shtola: “I pray we did, that Goobbue was far tougher than normal and that darkness...I fear what could have caused tha-by the twelve!” Y’shtola and Helga’s faces quickly go from tired to shocked to worried as the Goobbue stumble through the cloud blood flowing from it’s wound along with the darkness </p><p>Helga: “WHY WON’T YOU DIE!?” Helga shouts as she barrages the stubborn beast with ruin swords while Y’shtola joins the barrage with stones while the carbuncle leaps to in front of the duo as his fur glows and shines before a barrier forms around them right as the large goobbue just body checks them shattering the barrier and destroying the carbuncle as Helga and Y’shtola are sent back right into the monument. “Gah! This goobbue...no doubt about it, I think it was sent to kill anyone who might get too curious.”  Helga groans as her and Y’shtola slowly get up as the seemingly unkillable Goobbue just lumbers towards them it’s stomach just oozing darkness from being practically torn to shreds by the duo’s barrage of spells but for some reason it refuses to fall however before it could get closer everyone gets surprised by a sudden roar of fury as a familiar cloaked Au Ra leaps from the shadow’s and tackles the Goobbue forcing it to stumble and fall to the ground with a very loud THUD as the Au Ra starts tearing into its side viscera and darkness splashing about as the Au Ra’s claw arm pierces the blubbery hide allows her to rip out as much as she can get her hands on with the soil of the grotto being bathed in Goobbue blood. Meanwhile the Arcanist and Conjurer’s eyes widen as they see the darkness flow into the cloaked figured increasing her strength and speed as she seems to be almost absorbing the aether and darkness from the Goobbue and it was then that the beast finally registers pain before it gives a deafening roar, wildly flailing about with its long spindly arms, knocking the Au Ra off it and into the ground as her cloak is stained crimson. “That Au Ra, she’s the one from the ship” Helga smiles in joy at recognizing a, somewhat, friendly face, if she can see beyond the hood that’s on the verge of falling off, and she can’t help but smile before pouring her aether into her Grimoire and manifesting another ruin sword salvo that fires into the Goobbue, but to her shock the Au Ra leaps forward from the ground and grabs one of the blades causing it to shine brightly and she begins slashing into the beast dicing off the arms with two powerful swings as the non aspected aether blade slowly turns a dark shade of purple as the darkness flows from the Au Ra’s demonic arm into the blade. She leaps back with a fading slash and a growl before flipping the blade into a reverse grip behind her as the sword starts to pulsate with aether the darkness converting into some kind of purple flame that consumes the blade that starts to brightly shine in the cave when she gives one final swing slashing across horizontally and unleashes a crescent shaped wave of violet flames that shatters the aether blade when it was released and slowly consumes the beast. The arcanist prodigy and scion watch as the Goobue’s body parts start to rip off into various chunks and turn to ash and dust in the Burning Aether as it slowly makes it way up the beast until all that was left was the dagger that was lodged into the beast’s shoulder, super-heated by the flames that crash into the wall with a massive burst of energy that leaves behind a large scorch mark </p><p>Crimson Au Ra: “Ugh that was a pain, didn’t think something like THAT would appear, I was hoping it was the pirates returning for whatever reason...you two alright?’ The Au Ra turns around as the hood drops and Helga sees a rather...interesting sight, the Au Ra has long wild blood red hair seems to glow in the dark along with her right eye that was also a matching blood red glow, what was interesting was the deep glowing purple claw scars on the left side of her face underneath a large eyepatch that covers most of the left side of her face with the scars JUST poking out from underneath the eyepatch, her skin is also very pale almost deathly so like she’s a walking corpse if it wasn’t for her face looking mostly healthy despite the skin tone, and almost of equal intrigue is her demonic features, at least the ones she can see, the claw arm bits of scales across her forehead under the hair, and the two large devil horns sticking out the top of her head flowing back wavily at a low 30 degree angle, all of those have this dim glow of purple light like a forge ready to burst to life. </p><p>Helga: “Yeah we’re good, nothing a bit of rest can fix, you know that’s twice you helped me, and I never got you name, what’s your name friend?” The Au Ra twitches at the word ‘friend’ as her frown just deepens ever so slightly </p><p>Crimson Au Ra: “...Devola, my name’s Devola”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is my first fanfiction for AO3 I welcome constructive criticism but no flaming please, lest I exaflare the flaming :D, hope you all enjoy!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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